There are all sorts of reasons I find enormous value and joy in being a therapist. One of those reasons is the personal enrichment I gain from watching courageous people take risks in talking about areas of their life most people don’t even let themselves think about. I get a front row seat to courageous …
You are not your job
I am a therapist. Yep. I am also a mother, a daughter, a sister, a niece, a friend, a cook, a writer, an eater, a teacher, a mentor, an auntie, a cook, a reader, a napper, a runner, a speaker, a walker, a parishioner, a sleeper, a Downton Abbey and Grey’s Anatomy watcher, a lover …
Worrying
The February 17th edition of Maclean’s magazine’s cover story was all about “The new worry epidemic”. In the article, worry is used interchangeably with anxiety, both of which are different than fear. Fear is the “flight/fright/freeze” response that occurs when one is exposed to a threat of some kind…a danger. Fear is in the now. …
The Movement: True beauty is real
I love this video that has popped up in a few places: It’s like these women are almost surprised at how disappointed they are at how they don’t/want/can’t own the beauty of the faces in these photos..the retouched, bleached, refined, blemish-removed, pore-airbrushed faces…just not seeing that perfected “beauty” in the image, and owning it as …
Internal representations of others
I blogged recently about the way adolescents, mostly girls, have incredible, seemingly blind support for Justin Bieber, which seems exuberant to a level that hardly fits the situation: He lives 1000’s of miles away, they have never spoken to him, but they believe they have known him because of how much time they have spent …
Hump Day Nudge: Stage Fright Giggles
For many that have anticipated standing up in front of a crowd to talk or sing or present or play or act, the very thought of it creates sweaty palms, dry mouth, upset tummy, jiggly knees, ear-ringing, and instant hot flushes. I kinda like Joe Kowan…his courage, candidness and cowering in this talk…I like how …
Our therapists–real and in full colour
I love where I work…one important reason is that I get to work alongside some of my favourite people. I’m not being polite when I say that–the therapists and admin staff at our offices are some of the most amazing people I know. They are compassionate, supportive and respectful of our clients–absolutely–but what is absolutely …
Increasing our capacity for watching our kids struggle
There are lots of tough jobs out there; I think of the folks who put gas in my van when it’s -45 Celsius (my frozen fingers thank you!), or those who work late and long shifts in hospitals, factories, or riding around in cop cars keeping people safe. I’d also like to think parenting makes the …
Waiting Room Book now available
Therapist-friends of mine recently asked me to make copies of the book, “Is there still time to run?” available for purchase. To my surprise and utter delight, they loved the gentle, comforting brief words on the pages. validating a client’s courage in attending therapy normalizing apprehension and uncertainty educating them about the process of …
Hump Day Nudge: Outrageously Foolish Love
There is something about a man who will do whatever it takes to delight his wife that gets me…like wow, when a guy is willing to be foolish to give his wife some humour at a time she really needs some. He doesn’t care what others think. He is bold and courageous. He’s got his …